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While I was in trouble with my feet and very weak, some of the brethren came to see me and ask me to tell them something about the cause of my sickness. I think they had a double purpose, first to comfort me by distracting me from my pain and second to set me off talking about something profitable.

—Dorotheos of Gaza

I truly believe the monk’s assertion of the two fold purpose of any visit to those that are in need is very valid and weighty. When we comfort someone that is hurting, we have a tendency to turn them away from their pain, but more significantly we make them feel a sense of value. The monk was sitting in his cell probably thinking of nothing but the gout that caused him so much pain, but his day was interrupted with a joyful distraction. This interruption lifted him away from the routine of the day and gave him value to the brethren even in the midst of his pain.

Dorotheos gives us a very valuable lesson in his words. This lesson reframes the purpose of visiting the sick and lonely. When we comfort someone in need, we not only minister to them, but we give them an opportunity to minister to us. The brothers visited the monk in his time of suffering, and they gave him the chance to feel whole again. Dorotheos teaches us that we should never stop sharing and never stop serving. In this serving and sharing, God allows us to be disciples no matter what our condition may be.

I have always gotten great comfort from prayers of the Celtic tradition. Perhaps this one will mean as much to you as it has to me.

I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse. After he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stone silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again.”

“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

– Author Unknown –

I had the opportunity of being acquainted with Dr. Myron Madden. He was a counselor with a Christian perspective. One day he told me the story of what he offered to his clients when they were troubled. At the end of the session, he would reach up to his shirt pocket and open it as wide as possible. Then he would say,” I want you to put that problem in my pocket and I will carry for the week. Next week, we will take it out and look at it, if it’s still important.” The concept, much like the trouble tree, is that we can hang things up for a while and they may actually heal themselves. The other choice is to dwell on them and let our troubles rule us. Allow me to offer a few suggestions.

Make time to clear your mind

I would like to note that in the story the trouble tree and the counselor’s method there was a decision to allow the trouble to rest for a while. For one it was hung on a tree, the other it was put in someone else’s pocket for them to carry it around. In both cases, it was given a respite so that they could have distance and have relief from their troubled mind.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:6-7

Allow yourself to move from place to place.

Fascinatingly the carpenter put his troubles on the tree and walked into his home with a big smile and lots of hugs to offer. Dr. Madden told of the people who left his office with a smile and a determination to allow their troubles to be in his temporary custody. Such attitudes allow us to be productive and happy in the situations in which we find ourselves. We can deal with our troubles when we should and not force the rest of the world to be part of our troubles. There is a place for trouble and a place for smiles.

He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Put your troubles to sleep before you try to go to sleep.

If we can possibly use the suggestions above we allow ourselves a space to rest. Fatigue is one of our greatest enemies. People who are tired can be angry and depressed. How can we truly put our troubles to sleep? I would suggest that we can begin by turning them over to God. He has promised us that we can take anything to Him. We can know with certainty that if we don’t rest we will never get better. Secondly, we can find someone or something that will carry our troubles through the night. Thirdly, we can find time to be silent and still before we try to sleep. Offer this silence and stillness to God and ask Him to empty your mind so that there is room for Him and He will give you rest. I might also suggest that a practice of Sabbath rest would do us all some good. The Sabbath is a day or even a few hours when we dedicate ourselves to the presence of God in our lives. This rest puts us in a better frame of mind for the days ahead.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Jesus of Nazareth

These three suggestions will not rid us of worry. My hope is that they can give us a few handles that will allow us to thrive. Clarity of mind, having a helper, being able to be present for those who need us and discovering a way to truly rest will take us a long way.

Prayer

Lord, send me stillness and peace. Help to discover the place or that person that will take my troubles into their care. May I find rest and slumber so that the load of tomorrow will be lighter than the load of today. I trust you because I know that you love me.

The above picture is from an article about natural substances that act as weed killers. This little flower won’t acknowledge that he is a weed. He just wants to thrive and bloom. We find ourselves in that very same situation from time to time. The world seems to have dealt us a hand that limits our space, crushes our self-image and tells us we are not worth much. Our choice is simple. Do we accept worthlessness or do we press on to bloom?Our decision is simple, we must be a flower and not a weed regardless of our situation. Paul said to them in his letter to Corinth – In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God.

That‘s the answer! Remain with God. Never forget that it is God that has designed the wildflower to grow through the sidewalk cracks. He has designed us to grow through the cracks as well as the fertile ground. I like to look at this little flower as a motivator. Tony Robbins, a well-known motivation speaker, charges $230 for CD seminars, and it costs well over $1000 to attend one of his live seminars. The little flower in the crack is God’s free gift to us, and it tells us to bloom where we are planted. Let us learn from the flower in the crack.

Develop an attitude that allows you to let go.

That little guy in the crack was designed to bloom and bloom he did. I believe – I know that we were created in God’s image. Our creator gives us the ability to thrive wherever we are placed. Even in the worst of times, we are given the innate ability to be the person God created. We can reach that high plain by letting go of all the fears that the world thrusts our way. The “letting go” attitude gives each of us the permission to thrive in any circumstance.

Remember, change is not your enemy.

Many people would rather fail than change. Such stubborn behavior robs us of the joy that could come our way. No matter how much we hold on, sometimes we must change. In the midst of the turmoil of change is the opportunity to bloom where we have been planted even when the choice was not ours. Change is a part of life, and we would profit by remembering that simple fact.

Value the place that is given to you.

I once knew a man who would give the same greeting every time I saw him. When asked “How are you?” his consistent answer was, “ Living in the hope of a better day.” I was a very young pastor and I always wondered what was wrong with today? Benedict of Nursia, the founder of western monasticism said that stability was the key to living the monastic or Christian life. Learning to live in the stability of relationship involves the skill of rubbing off our own sharp edges. We cannot run away from ourselves or those that know us the best. I have been married for over forty years, and I know what I do wrong and so does my wife. We are challenged to bloom where we are planted because other paths are, all too often, very disappointing.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see myself well enough to acknowledge my weaknesses. Because of that, I can depend upon your strength to carry me through in spite of all adversity that may surround me. You give each of us the ability to make our own fertile ground.

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Holy Saturday

Everlasting Love

Isaiah 54:5-14

For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the prosperity of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Prayer Thought

Lord, give me the faith and confidence to believe you can and will set things right.

“Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.”

Remember Me

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Prayer Thought

Lord forgive me!

“Therefore once for all this short command is given to you. ‘Love and do what you will.’ If you keep silent, keep

c. 1480 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

silent by love; if you speak, speak by love; if you correct, correct by love; if you pardon, pardon by love: let love be rooted in you, and from the root nothing but good can grow.”

Light for the Nations

Isaiah 49:1-6

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.’

And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Prayer Thought

Lord, make us aware of the work that you have designed us to do. Allow us to discover the gift that was built into each one of us.

“I have never known more thanfifteen minutes of anxiety or fear. Whenever I feel fearful emotions overtaking me, Ijust close my eyes and thank God that He is still on the throne reigning over everything and I take comfort in His control over the affairs of my life.”

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

Prayer Thought

Lord, drive fear from my heart so that I may be as serene as you.

“And once we have the condition of peace and joy in us, we can afford to be in any situation. Even in the situation of hell, we will be able to contribute our peace and serenity. The most important thing is for each of us to have some freedom in our heart, some stability in our heart, some peace in our heart. Only then will we be able to relieve the suffering around us.”

Sing Hosanna

Mark 11:1-11

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Prayer Thought

Lord, help me to remember that you are a God of triumph on Friday.

“Augustine started from God’s grace and got it right, Pelagius started from human effort and got it wrong. Augustine passionately pursued God; Pelagius methodically worked to please God.” ~ Philip Yancey

Everlasting Covenant

Ezekiel 37:21-28

Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. They shall never again defile themselves with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the apostasies into which they have fallen, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. They shall live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your ancestors lived; they and their children and their children’s children shall live there for ever; and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them for evermore. My dwelling-place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them for evermore.

Prayer Thought

Lord, we have a covenant that we share help me to keep it.

Dallas Willard giving a Ministry in Contemporary Culture Seminar at the George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Portland, Oregon in 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“As Augustine say clearly, God being God offends human pride. If God is running the universe and has first claim on our lives, guess who isn’t running the universe and does not get to have things as they please.”

Praise the Lord

Jeremiah 20:10-13

For I hear many whispering:
‘Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All my close friends
are watching for me to stumble.
‘Perhaps he can be enticed,
and we can prevail against him,
and take our revenge on him.’
But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble,
and they will not prevail.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonour
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous,
you see the heart and the mind;
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.

Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hands of evildoers.